The Hat Studio resource guide

Get ready for the launch of The Hat Studio with our creator resource guide. You can avoid issues with your designs by following our embroidery guidelines below.

Embroidery stitch basics

Flat embroidery: A technique where stitches are embroidered flat on the surface.

Tatami fill: Rows of run stitches. Used to fill large areas.

Satin stitch outline: A long, straight embroidery stitch. Used to outline an object.

Run stitch: A single line stitch. Used for small design details.

Must-follow guidelines

• Design true-to-size graphics
  • The graphics you upload must be true to their size on the end product.
• Use solid shapes and colors only
  • Don’t include photographic images, gradients, fade or blend effects. Elements like these cannot be embroidered.
• Use transparent backgrounds
  • Graphics should include transparent backgrounds. Elements outside the main design will be picked up and result in unwanted embroidery stitches on the end product.
• Outline your fonts
  • All fonts should be converted to outlines unless your graphic is in PNG format. That way you don’t have to send us the font files.
• Submit vector files in PDF format
  • We highly recommend submitting your embroidery graphics as vector files (PDF). Raster graphics (PNG) can be used as well if the resolution of the graphic is at least 300 DPI.
• Stay within the maximum stitch count
  • If your graphic covers a very large part of the embroidery area, it may exceed the maximum limit of 15,000 stitches. In such case, your order will be put on hold. 
• Remove embroidery file template guidelines
  • If you use our downloadable templates, delete the guide layers before saving your files. If you don’t delete them, they’ll be embroidered.

Tips for best results

• Order samples
  • The best way to make sure your embroidery design looks the way you want is to order a sample of your work. We also recommend ordering an embroidery sample to learn about our techniques and stitch types.
• Remember the side and back design option
  • You can embroider a small design (e.g. your brand logo) on the back or either side of the hat. The design will be embroidered in flat embroidery.
• Create embroidery-unique designs
  • Embroidery is not printing, so most graphics that work on other products won’t be suitable for embroidery. 
• Keep it simple
  • Clean designs with bold lines and text work best for embroidery. If your design is too complex (e.g. contains gradients or intricate details), your order will be put on hold.